Airplane propeller



f Dec. i932.

s4. E. sLoNlM'sKY AIRFLANE PROPELLER Filed may 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. 0 ,Y O m. m m 0 m n A im MAN.. QU. .WQ Rmw Q ovh U R NS *O MQ m N .EN nl km.. .SNP G O Patented Der. s, 1932 UNITED srA'rEs PATENT ori-ics Amrmmi rnorELLnn Application. led May 21, 1929. lSerial No. 364,805.

This invention relates to and has for lan object the provision of an improved propeller mechanism adapted for use in connection with airplanes and the like, and provided with means whereby the pilot is enabled to change the pitch of the blades to various angles, or to neutral positions, or to reverse the blades at the will of the pilot while the plane is in the air.

My improved propeller is adapted to provide a high factor of safety at the moment of greatest peril to which an airplane may be subjected during flight, and to this end the mounting or installation of the propeller is so arranged as to make it adaptable to any existing type of air craft and motor.

My invention comprehends the rovision` of a practicable mechanism conveniently ar- `ranged so that a pilot may adjust the propeller readil with one hand, the provision of a mechanism of relatively small size and.

compactness with a low landing speed and embodying means whereby when the landing gear touches the ground the propeller can be reversed so thatit will operate as a brake for more quickly stopping the momentum of the plane than is possible with other types of propellers. l

- Other objects will appear as the descrip- 0 tion progresses.

In the accompanying drawings I haveV shown a preferred form of the invention illustrating avniultiple blade propeller operar, tively connected with the propeller shaft of an airplane motor and mounted in the usual position at the front of the fuselage of an air lane. In said drawings:

ig. 1 is a central longitudinalsection of 4 my improved propeller and associated parts 0 mounted on an airplane in position for use. Fig. 2 is a continuation of Fig. 1 showing the means for adjusting the pitch of the propellers, said means being positioned within and suitably mounted on the fuselage.

. Fig. 31is a horizontal section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.` v

. Figj is a transverse section of the propeller mounting on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. y Fig. 5 is a section of the same on line 5--5 A of. Fig. 1.

hub. Said housing is provided with a pluextended outwardly from the bosses C8.I The 1 Fig. 6 is a transverse section ofthe control mechanism on line 6-6 of Fig.2. Fig. 7 isa section of one of the propeller mountings on line 7-7 of Fig. 1. f

Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the control 55 mechanism on line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a sectional plan .on line 9-9 of ig. 10 is a section of a master gear adapted to be manually operated for simultaneously .60 adjusting all of the propellers to a corresponding extent and in corresponding directions.

Fig. 11 -is a diagrammatic view showing an extension ofthe hub of the master gear for illustrating the lead and extent of means formed within the hub for effecting and limiting the movement of said gear.

Necessarily I have omitted from the drawings and will not describe herein certain well known parts of an airplane including the motor and fuselage, as they are not material to my invention.

Now referring to Fig. 1, the mechanism is adapted to be mounted on the front of the 75 frame' of a motor A and operatively connected with the crank shaft or propeller shaft A1 of the motor. Preferably I provide a mounting for the propellers consisting of a cast metal member C having an elongated hollow extension Cl which is rigidly attached` y to the extended end of the motor shaft A1 by a bolt or bolts C2, as shown, or as may be found otherwise desirable.

The outer` end of the member C is provided ywith a housing C3, which is open at its end and is adapted to be provided with a detachable cover C4 held in position by means of bolts or screws C5., The housing C3 is provided with a gear 'chamber C6 therein in which a master beveled gear D is rotatably mounted, said gear having an elongated hub D1 which is journaled in a bore C7 of the rality of radially formed bosses C8 which 95` rotatably support a corresponding number of beveled pinions D2 in mesh with the master gear D. Thepinions D2 have integrally formed shafts D3 which are j ournaled in and extended ends of the shafts D3 carry propeller blade mountings E which are tightly held thereon by means of screws or pins E1 extending thru bosses E2.

The housing C is provided with a bore :C9 which slidably supports the rear end of tively by diametrically positioned pins D7 and D8 carried in the shaft D4, as'shown in Fig. 1. Thus the shaft D4 is held against rotation while the master Igear D is permitted to rotate substantially on the shaft by reason of the angularity of the grooves D6 formed internally ofthe hub of said gear. The gear D is fixedly held in the housing C by means of a ring D9 which abuts the inner end of the hub D1 of said gear and is mounted in the bore C7 of the housing. -Said ring is held against movement by means of a plurality of screws D10 which are threaded into the portion C1 of housing C, and the inner ends of which extend into the bore C7 and into engagement with the rear side of the ring D9. This means constitutes a simple expedient for preventing the longitudinal movement of the gear D, but it will be understood I may resort to any other suitable means in lieu of the means shown. Y

The portion C1 of the housing C is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite grooves C12 which are adapted to be engaged by plates D11 carried in the inner end of the shaft D4 and held by means of a screw D12, the head of which is seated ina bore D13 of said shaft.

A frictionless ball bearing F is slidably l held on the portion C1 of the housing and ,includes an inner rotatable collar F1 which is engaged by the key plates D11. An outer non-rotatable collar F2 between which and the collar F1, balls F3 are suitably held/ and a housing F4 embracing said collars and said balls. The bearing F also includes a retainer ring F5 which is threaded into the housing F4 for holding the elements of the bearing in operative position.

It will be observed that the inner ends of the bosses E2 of the propeller mountings E are each provided with a plurality of notches E3, E3, etc., adapted to be engaged by ar'ms E4 radiating from a collar E5 which is adjustably mounted on the outer periphery of.

the portion C1 of gear housing C. Housing C is provided at each of the hubs C8 thereon -with a pair of spaced ribs C13 which'provide grooves C14 therebetween for registration with selected notches E3 on the members E. The ribs C13, as shown in Fig. 1, are suliiciently wide and the grooves therebetween portions E4 of the collar E5 against displacement when said portions yE4 are adjusted out of engagement with the notches E3.

The collar E5 is provided with an annular groove E6 adapted to be engaged by aportion G1 of a member G, which is slidably mounted on a bracket G2 and is adapted to be operated by means hereinafter described for disengaging the collar E5 from the grooves E3 of the propeller mounting so as to permit the adjustment ofthe propellers.

The bracket G2 is adapted to be secured to the motor block A by suitable means such as bolts G3 and is provided with a pairof spaced ribs G4 between which a bell crank G5 is pivotally mounted on a shaft G6. The member G is longitudinally slidable in a guideway comprising grooves G7 4formed in the lower portions of the ribs G4 and a web G8 underlying the member G. The bell crank G5 has a depending arm G9 which extends thru an aperture G10 in the member G and also thru an elongated slot G11 in the lweb G8. Said bell crank is also provided with a pair of oppositely extended arms G12 which are respectively connected withthe ends of cables' G13 and G14 at points remote from the axis of the bell crank.

Inwardly of the motor A a suitable ortion of the fuselage His provided with a racket G15 which carries an operating Wheel G16 on a vertical shaft G17 which is held in spaced bearin s G18 and G19. Said bearings are forme' on a fixture G20 which has an externally threaded hub G21 adjustably associated with a similar hub G22 on the bracket G15. The hubs G21 and G22 are adjustably connected by means of a set collar G23, which has its opposite ends reversely threaded while the hubs are correspondingly threaded so that the adjustment of the set collar on the hubs will adjust the fixture G20 in its position relative to the bracket G15.

The collar G23 may be provided with a set screw G24 by means of which the collar may be set when a proper positioning of the lixture G20 on thebracket is accom lished.

Intermediate the bearings 18 and G19 the shaft G17 has iixedto it a pulley G25 over which the cables G13 and G14 are adapted to be wound for oscillatin the bell crank G5 when the hand wheel cables G13 and G14 extend thru a tube G26 leading from the motor block A thru the fuselage H to the interior of the hubs G21 and G22.

The hand wheel G16 is locked in selected 16 is turned. Said positions by means of aiatch G27 which-is f mounting.

bearings on said bracket, and a cable G33 operates over said pulley and thru the tube G26 and bosses G21 and G22 while the ends of said cable are connected at diametrically opposite points to portions G34, G34 of a lever lG35 a given direction will effect a correspondplulley G31 and cable mg movement of the G33. The pur ose of t e mechanism including the lever 35 and pulley G31 is to reciprocate the shaft D4 within the housing C.

This movement of said shaft is effected by -means of a yoke G43, as shown in Fig. 5,

which is pivotally mounted on the shaft G32 of the pulley G31 and is provided with slots G44 in its depending ends for engagement with trunnions F8 diametrically formed on the, housing F4 of bearing F. Thus'. the movement of pulley G31 in a counter-clockwise direction which will effect the retraction of shaft D4 in the housing C and a 'corresponding rotary movement of the master gear D and pinions D2. together with the propellers. In order to accomplish this movement of the propellers, however, it is first necessary to unlatch the hand wheel G16, after which said wheel may be rotated in a given dlrection'for oscillating the bell crank 5 with which the bell crank is connected by means of the cables G13 and G14.

The movement of the bell crank in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Fi 1 will slide the member G and the collar 35 with which said member is connected to the left,

-thus disengaging the portions E4 of said collar from the notches E3 of the propeller Following this operation the lever G35 is operated as previously described for adjustinfr the pitch of the Propellers.

LPIhe propeller blades I may be suitably mounted within the sockets E7 of the members E by bolts or may be readily detached therefrom or permanently held therein as may 'be desiredn When the propellers I are adjusted to a desired pitch the hand wheel G16 is re'versely operated for restoring the collar E5 .into engagement with the notches E3,of the pro- Eeller mountings whereby the propellers will e locked in adjusted positions, and 'there after the latches G27 and G38 vare also opated for locking the wheel G16 and lever 35. The member C carries a spring E8 between the collar E5 and a ring E9 which urges the otherwise so that they collar into locking osition with the ropeller mountings, sai ring being engsage by the outer portions of the screws 10 for compressing the spring.

The pitc and' len h of the grooves D6 in the master gearD etermine and re late the extent of movement of the propel ers I. It is only required, however,` that the propellers be adjusted for a'maximum extent so that they may be reversed as to pitch for imparting a braking influence to t anism instead of a propelling influence.

An important feature of my mechanism consists in the means provided for adjusting the propeller blades forward or reverse to any desired extent substantially within the range of 180 degrees forvarying the air resistance and the propelling power. Such a mechanism is especially valuable as when. for instance, a plane becomes over balanced and in its descent is inclined nose downward in the direction of theground and out of e mechz control of the pilot, the propellers may be quickly adjusted by the pilot into reverse for imparting an air resistance to the descent of the plane which tends to-place the plane in balance, elevate the nose, and lower the tail of the plane until equilibrium is established.

Likewise,'in the event that the plane should be reversely over balancedwith the tail lowermost, the propellers may be adjusted to a reater angle for increasing the pro ulsion e ort and for correspondingly elevatmg the tail until equilibrium is established. In aircrafts employing a plurality of motors, the different sets of propellers may be differently adjusted to compensate for the greater or less eliiciency of one or some of the motors relative to the others. In the event one of ,the motors of such a plane should become useless the propeller blades on sch motor ma be adjusted into neutral position with thlr edges facing forward, thusproviding a minimum air resistance to the flight of a craft. u

My mechanism being entirely mechanical has distinct advantages over other types of propeller adjustments employing electrical means, for the reason that mechanical means are more certain and de endable.

Other advantages wil readily appear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. An airplane propeller comprising, inl combination with a driving shaft, a hub fixed on'saiol shaft, a plurality of propeller shafts journaled in said hub, pinions secured onthe inner ends of said propeller shafts, pro elle'r blades-secured on the outer ends of sai propeller shafts, a gear in mesh with said pinions and formed with a hub journaled in said driving shaft, said gear hub being formed with a spiral internal cove, a slide shaft extending through saigliub, means to prevent turning of said slide shaft with relation to said los drive shaft, a pin in said slide shaft engaging the groove in said gear hub, a lock for nor mally locking said propeller blades a ainst turmng, means for disengagin sai lock from said propeller blades, an means for moving said slide shaft longitudinally when said lock is disengaged as aforesaid, for turning said propeller blades through said pin, groove, gear, pinions, and propeller shafts.

2. An airplane propeller mechanism comprising a propeller housing, a plurality of propeller `blades radially mounted thereon and adjustable as to pitch, a driving shaft rotatable in said housing, means adjustable relative to said shaft for varying the pitch of said blades at will, hubs on said blades having locking recesses formed at corresponding points thereon, and a member slidable relative to said housing and having portions engaging the recesses in said blade hubs for locking the blades in adjusted positions.

3. An airplane propeller mechanism as characterized in claim 2, including manually operable means for retracting said locking member whereby to disengage the same from said blade, and means for restoring said locking member to locking engagement with the blades at the completion of a blade adjusting operation.

`SAMUEL E.4 SLONIMSKY. 

